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Philstar.com
May 2, 2026 | 3:39pm
A U.S. Army VAMPIRE system, assigned to Bravo Battery of the 7th Infantry Division, is staged during Exercise Balikatan 2026 at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui, Philippines, April 26, 2026.
U.S. Army / Maj. Ian Sandall
MANILA, Philippines — Troops from the Philippines, United States and Japan militaries tested systems designed to detect, track and defeat drones during this year’s Balikatan exercises.
The drills, held at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui in Zambales, included demonstrations of counter-unmanned aircraft systems, or C-UAS, according to a news release from the US Indo-Pacific Command dated May 1.
C-UAS systems are capabilities used to identify, track and defeat unmanned aerial threats.
During the exercise, US forces demonstrated multiple systems, including mobile platforms and sensors designed to improve detection and response to drones.
One system cited was the Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Rocket Equipment, or VAMPIRE, which can fire precision-guided rockets.
Another was the Fixed Site–Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), which integrates sensors and interceptors to detect and disable aerial threats.
Layered defense
The U.S. Pacific Command explained that the systems are designed to work together as a “layered defense,” combining detection tools and response capabilities.
“These systems are designed to operate in tandem,” it said, noting that integration improves interoperability during joint operations.
The drills involved personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the US military and Japan Self-Defense Forces.
Officials said the exercises were aimed at improving coordination in command and control, as well as the ability of allied forces to operate shared systems.
The training included demonstrations of how different platforms can be used together in air and missile defense operations.
Part of broader exercise. Balikatan is the Philippines’ largest annual joint military exercise with the United States and has increasingly incorporated air and missile defense components.
This year's exercises have also been the largest-ever, with thousands of Japanese troops and other contingencies from the US's allied militaries.
